Level 3 Diploma & Extended Diploma In Art & Design

The Level 3 Diploma and Extended Diploma in Art & Design are new Level 3 qualifications designed for students who want to study art and design full time.

They have been developed specifically to support students who wish to go on to study an art and design subject at university.

What are these qualifications?

The qualification seeks to ensure that students develop the knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence required to work independently and to direct their own learning. It has been developed over a period of two years, in collaboration with colleges and higher education institutions across England.

The qualification seeks to ensure that students develop the knowledge, skills, understanding and confidence required to work independently and to direct their own learning. It has been developed over a period of two years, in collaboration with colleges and higher education institutions across England.

"This new qualification will provide an excellent bridge to Higher Education. The programme will provide the necessary skills and knowledge to enter the many and varied art and design courses nationwide. At UCA we would see this qualification as an essential entry point to our courses, so very much welcome its development."

How does it work?

Study for these qualifications is not time constrained but will normally be over a period of two years.

The structure of the qualification, with units linked to provide coherence, will allow learners to synthesise newly acquired practical skills with theoretical knowledge and understanding as they explore their aptitude and ambition and the particular characteristics of a broad range of art and design disciplines. Learners will be encouraged to recognise, not only the unique characteristics of different disciplines, but also the dynamic and potentially innovative relationships between those disciplines, particularly in a technologically driven environment.

The qualifications will require learners to develop a coherent and effective working methodology, through immersion, reiteration and reinforcement, which will enable them to react positively and creati‌vely across a diverse range of assignments and creative activities.

The final Unit, available at Level 3 and 4, will require the learner, particularly at Level 4, to demonstrate the independent capacity to self initiate, research, analyse, organise, reflect and evaluate commensurate with study in higher education.

The following sheets were developed by Carlisle College and successfully used with both Level 2 and Level 3 students.Analysis of single image (Word 41KB) is about analysing a single piece of work in any media. The student ticks only the formal elements they recognise in a work and then they discuss that element in detail on the next line.Comparison sheet (Word 49KB) is about comparing and contrasting two pieces. It is important to allow students who can write well to use their own methods or not use the sheets at all if they don’t want to – as long as their analysis is critical and engaged with the subject.

These sheets can be used regularly at Level 2 or Level 3 – probably starting with visual analysis and then as learners become more confident with the language to use the writing boxes.